Caught
by TheFredtoherGeorge
Summary: After a morning in Hogsmeade, Al returns to his dormitory and is less than pleased with what he finds there.
1. Reworked Version

_A/N: "Caught" was the first piece of fanfic that I ever wrote. Since then, I've written a long-format story (What is Meant to Be) as well as several additional one-shots. I like for all of my fics to fit together within one storyverse, but with the character development and established events in WiMtB, this one no longer did. I could either ignore it, delete it, or rewrite it. I chose the latter and decided to keep the original version as well for those who prefer it or want to read both. This is my reworked approach to the scene and the original has been moved to chapter 2._

"Aww, Merlin's balls! What the hell, Scorpius!"

There was a gasp, a muttered curse, and a few moments of shuffling noises before the blonde head of a teenage boy popped out from between the heavy red bed curtains and peered, wide-eyed, at his best friend.

"Al, mate, this really isn't a good time. Maybe I could meet up with you in the common room a bit later?"

"I'm not daft, you pillock," Albus Potter replied, giving his friend a sour look. "I know exactly what you're up to. Do you know that your muffling charms are total crap?"

"So go away then," Scorpius suggested cheekily.

"No!" Al answered indignantly. "It's bad enough you're shagging my cousin, do you have to do it in our dorm? Where I sleep too?"

"It seemed convenient, yeah," the blonde boy shrugged, hurriedly fastening his trousers and stepping out from behind the curtain, careful to keep the partially undressed redhead within concealed from view. "Everyone's supposed to be in Hogsmeade all day, including you. Thought I'd make the most of the opportunity." Scorpius grinned unapologetically, despite having been caught (quite literally) with his trousers down.

"You said you were studying," Al accused, his arms crossed.

"We did study," Scorpius argued. "We're taking a little break. Now go away."

"I'm not going anywhere! This is my dorm too and if you want to have your little 'study break' with my cousin, you can take it somewhere else!"

"C'mon, Al," Scorpius said, the grin falling from his face. "This is getting ridiculous. Just leave us alone for awhile, yeah?"

"Nope."

"Oh for the love of Merlin!"

The two boys froze as the young woman's voice tore through the dormitory. Slowly, the bed curtain was pulled aside and a slim figure emerged wearing a man's shirt, her curly red hair wild and mussed. She stood in front of her boyfriend, fixing her stern gaze on her dark-haired cousin as she spoke.

"Albus Potter, you will leave us in peace or I will hex you so bad your grandchildren will have flying bogies. Get. Out."

"You wouldn't…," Al started, falling silent and cringing as Rose held up her wand threateningly.

"You are supposed to be in Hogsmeade with Alice," she continued. "I don't know what possessed you to come back here, but you really need to leave and go find your girlfriend and forget that any of this ever happened."

The words had barely left Rose's lips when they were interrupted by a soft knock on the door followed by a nervous giggle as a petite, round-faced, blonde girl stepped into the room. She stopped short as she took in the scene before her and her eyes grew round as realisation set in.

As Rose looked at Alice then back at Al, whose face had turned a vibrant shade of pink, she raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms. She heard Scorpius stifle a snicker behind her and discreetly shifted her weight so she could stand on his foot to quiet him. Returning her focus to her cousin, who was now staring resolutely at the floor, she broke the awkward silence.

"Really, Al?"

Albus turned his attention from the floor to the ceiling, shifting his weight nervously.

"Alright! Fine!" he burst out suddenly. "I'm a bloody hypocrite! I admit it. I wanted to kick you two out so that we could have the dorm for ourselves. Are you happy?!"

"No, not particularly," Rose replied.

"Er, maybe we should go," Alice suggested, also blushing deeply.

"Yeah, I suppose," Al agreed sheepishly. "Sorry, mate."

"Don't worry about it," Scorpius replied lightly. Rose only raised her eyebrows again, communicating silently that she was not about to forgive him so easily. Al shook his head and disappeared into the hall, closing the door behind him.

Once they were alone again, Scorpius slid his arms around Rose's waist and pulled her body close against his as he leaned his head down and spoke softly in her ear.

"Have I mentioned how much I can't wait to leave school with you?"

She smiled in response. "Once or twice. Until that time, however, I think should be the one casting the 'muffliato'."


	2. Original Version

_A/N: This is the original version of this story, as written before my other works._

"Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy! Get your arse out here before I hex it off!"

There was a gasp, a muttered curse, and a few moments of shuffling noises before the blonde head of a teenage boy popped out from between the heavy red bedcurtains and peered, wide-eyed, at his best friend.

"Al, mate, this really isn't a good time. Maybe I could meet up with you in the common room a bit later?"

"I'm not daft, arsehole." Albus Potter replied, pointing his wand threateningly at the other boy. "You've got a girl in that bed with you, and because you're rubbish at silencing charms, it's bloody obvious what the two of you are doing. Now that means that you're either shagging my cousin or you're cheating on her. Either way, I owe you a world of pain."

Scorpius gulped and tried to think of a response that wouldn't get him jinxed into oblivion. Beneath the horror and embarrassment of being caught with his trousers down (quite literally) and the fear of what his friend might do, Scorpius felt a rush of anger that Al would even consider the idea that he might cheat on Rose.

"Oi! Now wait a minute. What kind of bloke d'you think I am?" Scorpius hurriedly fastened his trousers and stepped out from behind the curtain, careful to keep the partially undressed redhead within concealed from view.

"Right now I think you're a filthy wanker who can't keep his hands to himself."

"That's out of order, mate. It's not like you've never brought a date up here on a Hogsmeade weekend to spend some time alone. Why is it suddenly so horrible that I've done it?"

"Because Rose isn't a date! She's my goddamned cousin, man! I've grown up with her and she's as close to me as my sister! I thought I made it clear when you started dating her that you cannot treat her like any other girl. She is not just any girl!"

"I know that, mate. You should know that I know that." Scorpius' voice was low and quiet, in contrast with Albus' barely controlled yelling.

"So what do you think you're doing?" Al continued to yell. "It's Rose! You can't just - "

"ENOUGH!"

The two boys froze as the young woman's voice tore through the dormitory. Slowly, the bedcurtain was pulled aside and a slim figure emerged wearing a man's shirt, her curly red hair wild and mussed. She stood in front of her boyfriend, fixing her stern gaze on her dark-haired cousin as she spoke.

"Albus Severus Potter, stop being an overprotective git. I am seventeen years old and what I choose to do with my free time is none of your business. You need to stop yelling at Scorpius because he hasn't done anything to me that I didn't want him to do."

Al frowned deeply but remained silent and slowly lowered his wand.

"That's better. Now what are you even doing here? I had it on good authority that you were supposed to be spending the day in Hogsmeade with Alice. Where is she?"

The words had barely left Rose's lips when they were interrupted by a soft knock on the door, followed by a nervous giggle as a petite, round-faced, blonde girl stepped into the room. She stopped short as she took in the scene before her and her eyes grew round as realisation set in.

As Rose looked at Alice then back at Al, whose face had turned a vibrant shade of pink, she raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms. She heard Scorpius stifle a snicker behind her and discreetly shifted her weight so she could stand on his foot to quiet him. Returning her focus to her cousin, who was now staring resolutely at the floor, she broke the awkward silence.

"Really, Al?"

Albus turned his attention from the floor to the ceiling, shifting his weight nervously.

"Alright! Fine!" he burst out suddenly. "I'm a bloody hypocrite! I admit it. Are you happy?!"

"No, not particularly," Rose replied.

Alice, also blushing deeply, stepped forward and placed her hand gently on her boyfriend's arm. "Al, honey, why don't we, err... go for a walk?"

"Yeah, alright," he muttered in reply. He turned back to the other couple as he stepped through the doorway. "Scor, I'm sorry, mate. I just..." he broke off and scowled again.

"Don't worry about it," Scorpius replied lightly. Rose only raised her eyebrows again, communicating silently that she was not about to forgive him so easily. Al shook his head and disappeared into the hall, closing the door behind him.

Once they were alone again, Scorpius slid his arms around Rose's waist and pulled her body close against his as he leaned his head down and spoke softly in her ear.

"Have I mentioned how much I can't wait to leave school with you?"

She smiled in response. "Once or twice. Until that time, however, I think should be the one casting the 'muffliato'."


End file.
